Anchor Stitch Kit

I hate sitting idle at home, more since my husband works on even Saturdays now which leaves me feeling lonely at home once all the household chores are done. I always liked stitching and so thought of buying some Anchor stitch kits to spend my time. God, these kits are addictive.Once you start with one, you will become restless till its finished. I completed several of these kits at home and have even got them framed. Now they are serving as beautiful wall hangings in my house not to forget the compliments that I keep getting from the guests. Kudos to Anchor for this wonderful easy kit for all those who love to make decorative items at home. I have shared some of the pictures here...

I started of with this picture which I finished in 6 hours

Work in progress

I just love this for its vibrant red colours

Simple yet elegant.

ROMANCING THE KUMAON HILLS: NAINITAL

The Famous Naini Lake

Also known as the Honeymooner’s Paradise, Nainital is situated at an altitude of 2084 meters above the sea level in the Kumaon Hills. The valley is named on the Naini Lake which is considered to be one of the 64 Shakthi Peeths where parts of charred body of Sati fell on earth. The spot where Sati’s eyes fell came to be called Naini-Tal or lake of the eye. Naina Devi temple can be found on the shore of this lake.

The Rising Sun

I had first been to this place with my parents and decided to come for my Honeymoon to Nainital only. Taking a stroll on the mall road in a chilly atmosphere with the picturesque Naini Lake on your side is highly romantic. In the evening you can find endless honeymoon couples, walking hand-in-hand on the mall road, either shopping for some famous Handmade Candles and other handicrafts or simply sitting near the lake, hugging each other.

How to Reach

There are multiple trains (Ranikhet express, Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti Express, Kathgodam-Dehradun express etc.) from Delhi that come till Kathgodam Junction. Tourists travelling by train can get down either at Haldwani or Kathgodam Junction and take a taxi or bus to Nainital.

We took Ranikhet Express from Purani Delhi Station and reached Kathgodam somewhere around 6 in the morning and took a cab to Nainital. After a 30 minute drive, we reached Nainital. The glimpse of the Lake so early in the morning was ecstatic.

Stay at ALKA- The Lake Hotel

There are infinite options for accommodation in Nainital. If you are travelling in the peak season, booking the rooms in advance is advisable. Most of the hotels are located on the Mall road itself with a view of the Lake while some of them can be found on the hills as well. We chose to stay at “Alka- The Lake Side Hotel” which is one of the best located hotels in Nainital. We had made an advance booking and chose to stay in the Standard room (Rs. 4200/per night). The room was spacious with bamboo walls and a French window overlooking the magnificent Naini Lake. 

The view from my Room

 Apart from this, they also have Economy rooms, Luxury rooms, duplex apartment (Mughal Room) and suites. One can check their website before booking in order to opt for the best option available with them. We slept the whole day, and came out only in the evening for a cozy walk on the mall road. The wind was chilly and I gorged on some aloo chat and Paneer chila to revive my taste buds.

Attractions       
                                                       

Nainital Zoo: Approximately 1Km away from the bus stand, the Nainital Zoo is located on a small hill. Just like any other zoo, one can find animals like the Himalayan Black Bear, Leopard, Siberian Tiger, civet cat etc. You can also spot some exotic parakeets, owls and parrots. Since there is nothing very special about this place, we gave it a miss on our trip.

Caves Garden: It is located near the Kumaun University Campus and is a great place for some adventure activities. There are a number of natural caves here.  You can try to get in and out of these caves for an experience.

Snow-View: It is easily accessible through ropeway.

Naina Peak or China Peak:  It is the highest peak of the town and provides a beautiful view of the snow-laden Himalayas on one side and the lake city on the other. Some of the guides may tell you that the China border is visible from this peak, but trust me this is not true. China is too far to be visible from India.

The Magnificent Himalayas

Naini Devi Temple:  The temple is located on the shores of Naini Lake, the deity being “Ma Naina Devi”.  The temple is very peaceful and you can get a full view of the hill station from this place.

The other Taals: Apart from Naini Lake, Nainital has 4 other natural lakes named Bhimtal, Sattal, Khurpa Taal and Naukuchia Taal (9 cornered lake). All these lakes have a wonderful view of the hill station and also have different myths attached to them. 

Naina Devi Temple

Naukuchiya Lake

Golu Devta ka Mandir: Trip to Nainital is incomplete without visiting Golu Devta’s temple. As per the folklore, if there is any wish, it can be written on a piece of paper and hanged in the temple premises. Don’t forget to hang a bell once your wish has been granted.

Mukhteshwar: It is a pictersque town, around 8200 ft above sea level. The attractions here include a Shiva Temple, Chauli ki Jali and Suicide Point. There is a PWD Guest house in Mukhteshwar that can be booked for a short stay. The major peaks on Himalayas like the Nanga Parbat, Trishul Parbat and Nanda Devi are clearly visible from this spot. 

The PWD Guesthouse at Mukhteshwar

Suicide Point

 Though we had covered most of the tourist attractions, the one that we missed was the Ropeway, Hanuman Garhi and Pangot.

Shopping

Majority of the shops are present on the Mall road where you can find local fast food, Kashmiri emporiums and some beautifully carved candles. Approximately half a kilometer away from the mall road is the Tibetan Market. Here you can find some cheap but beautiful bags, jackets, sweaters, hats, shoes and delicious MOMOs.

We stayed for 4 days in Nainital and returned back to Delhi. I have been to a lot of other hill stations as well but, I haven’t found something as romantic as Nainital. Let me know if you require further information on this Destination.

A Trip to Remember... Pondicherry

Pondicherry has been recently named as PUDUCHERRY and is a small town in the Eastern seaboard in India.  The diverse tourist attractions here include a 32 km coastline, clean beaches, backwaters and fishing villages, Sri Rishi Aurobindo’s Ashram, the much talked about Auroville, and its French heritage. Apart from this, one can gorge on great seafood and some tax-free wine/liquor.

If you are expecting some Goa-like experience, you are likely to be disappointed as this town is not much commercially developed and is most suitable for a peaceful weekend gateway.

The Journey…

Pondicherry is well connected to the districts and towns of major states like Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh and is best accessible by road from Chennai.  One can also hire a car and reach this place as it is hardly 3 to 4 hour drive form Chennai.  Moreover there are frequent buses from places like Thanjavur, Trichy, Coimbatore and Bangalore.

As I was residing in Chennai at the time of visit, we went by a car which was a 3.5 hour drive approximately.  We took the ECR Road as it was not only the shorter way, but is also famous for its scenic beauty. As you drive through the road, one can see the virgin coastline on one side and occasional back waters on the other.  At some point, we got down from our car and stopped at a spot that was actually a shrimp culture area. We even took some snaps on a virgin beach on ECR Road. Finally, we reached Pondicherry and headed straight towards the Gandhi Beach.

What we did…

Gandhi beach wasn’t much inspiring as its completely cemented and actually doesn’t fit the criteria of being a beach.

Next we went to the much talked about Auroville. Auroville was founded by Mirra Alfassa (Sri Ma) and is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity. As we reached this place, we couldn’t see anything that could interest us. However, the documentary on Auroville and how it was shaping an experimental town was enlightening. It is only after watching this documentary that you can proceed towards the Matri Mandir. 

Matri Mandir is situated in the middle of the town and is meant for meditation.  You need to walk at least 2 Kms to see this marvelous structure. We were amazed to see the huge golden globe that stood among the manicured gardens. After spending sometime there, we returned back and moved around a bit. There was a small restaurant nearby that served organic food and a cute little boutique that sold various handicrafts manufactured by the residents of Auroville.

Now it was Beach Time… I mean that’s what we were there for…

There is a place called Chhunambar Beach that can be reached through a boat. This beach is very clean (unlike the ones in Chennai) and majority of the crowd can be found here. We spent some quality time in this beach and had our lunch at a café nearby. There are not many options for food here, so its better of you could carry some with you.

We had a deadline to come back so couldn’t visit Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram which is near to the Gandhi Beach. If you are with a bunch of friends, you can choose to stay here for a day to explore more options. There are quite a number of hotels and resorts in the city. But, you may not be lucky enough to get a sea facing property.

Pondicherry was a French Colony and hence, a little bit of French heritage is still alive here. You can gorge on authentic French food here which is easily available.

I have had a memorable trip to Pondicherry… tell me about yours.

Also, let me know if any other information is required…

If its Chinese, Its Mainland China...

Very true to its tagline, the best Chinese food is served here. Its been one of my fav. eateries since I was in College. Being a regular customer at both Kolkata and Bangalore, thought of trying the one in Mumbai and it was just awesome. I had been there with my husband to celebrate my new job and the experience was wonderful. The service is great as usual and the ambiance is also the same as it is in other cities. I loved the "Eight Treasure Veg soup" while my husband gorged on the "Crab meat soup". The menu is exhaustive and one can get a wide variety of items to choose from. We ordered Ginger Capsicum Fried rice along with General Tao's Chicken and Lemon Chicken. All the dishes were excellent. The price is slightly on the higher side however, the quality of food is worth the money that you spend. An average meal for two can cost 2000 INR approximately however, it may still vary.
I am simply amazed to see the way these guys have maintained the quality of their food, ambiance and service since all these years...

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

 "Love is a Terrible thing that will make you suffer..."

This is what the book is all about, Pain, suffering and Pleasure... 

The protagonist, a young Brazilian girl thinks of making it big and due to a chance meeting with a stranger,  lands up at a bar in Geneva as a prostitute. When she is almost convinced that there is nothing called true love and the whole world revolves around only sex; she meets a young painter who sees her inner light. Now, the protagonist must choose between the dark path she is on and to find her inner light.

This is a daring Novel that depicts how the world revolves around those 11 minutes and how every relationship is dependent on it. Though the book was interesting, there are certain pages that can easily be missed. At times the author loses track of the story however, it ends in a typical Filmy way.